Finders Keepers
Finders Keepers is the thirteenth episode of the first season. Plot Stacy is in the Lost and Found Department searching for a briefcase that a passenger had mistakenly left behind. Stacy finds it and returns it to the grateful woman. Matt and Tanya come in to inform Stacy that someone forgot their suitcase on the platform. Stacy asks Matt to bring it in so it can be stored in the station's Lost and Found. Stacy then notices and compliments the necklace that Tanya is wearing. Tanya explains that it used to belong to her grandmother, and that Harry gave it to her. Matt and Tanya wonder what might be in the lost luggage, such as treasure or toys. They suddenly hear Mr. Conductor screaming for help. His voice is coming from one of the pieces of luggage and the kids frantically try to find which piece of luggage he's inside of. They settle on a round hat case and open it. He was searching for his lost pocket watch when he became trapped, but is happy to have found the watch. Tanya finds a name tag inside the case identifying that it belongs to a "Louella Burndoyne". Matt supposes that she left it behind on purpose to get rid of the carpet sweepings. Mr. Conductor agrees with Matt's deduction, but complains that now he's dirtier than Thomas and Percy combined. He tells them the story of when Thomas and later Percy became covered in coal dust. After the story, Mr. Conductor says that he needs to wash up. He describes how he'll go about cleaning himself before sparkling away. As the kids clumsily attempt to put back the bags they moved while looking for Mr. Conductor, they cause a black case to fall and open on the floor. The kids are amazed to find a saxophone inside, and they begin to play with it. The Jukebox Puppet Band hears the saxophone and they wonder what it is. Tex tells Rex that it sounds like the burping noise he makes after eating chili-dogs. Didi says that it's a totally new rad(ical) sound and that the "child dudes" are onto something. Schemer is drawn by the kids' attempt to play the saxophone and comes over to investigate. Schemer insults their playing and claims that he once owned a saxophone just like this one. He claims to know how to play the instrument. The kids laugh at his attempt to play a jazz version of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". As Schemer's about to claim the instrument as the one he had as a child, he tries a few more notes and gives up, saying that the saxophone must be broken. He returns it to the kids and leaves. The kids return the saxophone to its case and hide it at the back of the pile of lost luggage. Harry tells them that he gave the necklace to Tanya's grandmother when he was a young man on the railroad, and that it cost him half a week's wages. She was pleased to receive it when he presented it to her in the sleeper car of the Honeymoon Special to Niagara Falls. Harry then tells them about passenger trains and sleeper cars and how the rocking soon put him to a good night's sleep. The nostalgia makes Harry want to take another passenger train trip in the near future as he leaves the station and the children go get the bucket of water. Schemer runs into the empty station proclaiming that there's a new film in The Picture Machine. He holds a fake contest to see who will be the first person to watch it. He proclaims himself the winner and places a nickel in the Picture Machine. It features animated, self-playing orchestral instruments. Harry and a boy named Amani come into the station and Harry directs him to the Lost and Found. Stacy apologizes to the boy saying that the black case he's looking for isn't there. The boy is sad, but Stacy promises to keep an eye out for it and tell him if it turns up. When the boy leaves, Stacy tells the kids that he lost a case containing his new saxophone that is very special to him. Mr. Conductor stands in front of his signal box and tells the kids to hurry up with the bucket. When they place it just below the signal box, Mr. Conductor surprises the kids by jumping into the bucket. He tells them the story of how James was rude to Toby and Henrietta about being dirty, only to end up covered in tar himself in an accident. When the story ends, Mr. Conductor says that it was very decent of Toby to be thinking of Henrietta and that thinking of others can be a gift. He drops a hint that it would be a gift like really being able to play the saxophone. Mr. Conductor noticed that Tanya's necklace is missing. Tanya realizes that she's lost it and goes looking for it near the Information Booth saying that her grandfather will be furious. Harry overhears this, promptly making Tanya confess. Harry says that it was an accident and that he's not angry, but that they should all start looking for it. Suddenly, Harry and Amani come back. Amani found the necklace on the platform and returns it to a grateful Tanya. Harry explains that Amani was bringing the necklace to the Lost and Found. This prompts Tanya to get up and retrieve the saxophone case that she and Matt had hidden earlier. Amani thanks her and Harry requests that he play a happy tune on his saxophone. Amani treats the friends to a solo performance. Inside the jukebox, Didi wonders from hearing the saxophone music if the kids have taken some serious lessons. Tito says that this time, it's someone who really knows how to play. Tex suggests that they all play something as they can learn something from this boy, and they play "The Desperado" with Amani accompanying the music with his saxophone playing. Cast and Characters Main Cast * Ringo Starr as Mr. Conductor * Didi Conn as Stacy Jones * Leonard Jackson as Harry Cupper * Nicole Leach as Tanya Cupper * Brian O'Connor as Schemer * Jason Woliner as Matthew Jones Flexitoon Puppeteers * Peter Baird as Grace Bass * Craig Marin as Rex * Olga Marin as DiDi * Alan Semok as Grace Bass * Vaneese Thomas as Grace Bass * Wayne White as Tex Guest Starring * Amaoli Murray as the Saxophonist * Susan Terry as the Passenger Mentioned Characters * Thomas (mentioned) * James (mentioned) * Percy (mentioned) * Toby (mentioned) * Henrietta (mentioned) Thomas Stories * Double Trouble : Thomas feels the only proper color for a really useful engine has to be blue. The smart blue tank engine is quick to let Percy and Toby know that. Later on Thomas is resting on a siding beside the coal hopper. Percy moves freight cars into place to be loaded with coal. The naughty freight cars get up to their usual tricks and bump Percy so that the coal hopper misses the last one car. Thomas comes out of that one looking a little less smart with coal dust covering him from smoke box to bumper. Percy laughs at Thomas and that leaves a score be settled. It settles itself when a tired Percy goes to get a drink and finds he can’t stop. He goes off the siding into a pit of coal. Thomas is standing by with Annie and Clarabel just long enough to see Percy’s incident. That night in the shed the two engines make up. Thomas concedes that Percy’s green paint looks just as nice as his blue does. The two tank engines agree they will be more careful with coal. * James in a Mess : James makes fun of Toby and Henrietta calling them dirty objects. Karma catches up with James when once again his freight train gets the better of him. They push him down the hill, through the station, and right into two tar wagons. James is covered in Tar and who should come to help him? Who else but Toby, and Percy too? Jukebox Band Song Segment * The Desperado Trivia *The Picture Machine sequence features an excerpt from the 1947 George Pal Puppetoon short "Tubby the Tuba" narrated by Victor Jory. *Footage from Going Home and Steam People is used. *Up to 1990, Amaoli Murray was a promising teenage jazz alto saxophonist. *Mr. Conductor tells both stories to Matt and Tanya in this episode. Gallery Finders Keepers/Gallery Episode File:Finders Keepers Category:Episodes Category:Season 1